Grumpy Challenge 2017.... A Marathon Weekend TR (Updated 3/19 Final Thoughts)

[wehrengrizz]

awesome medal pictures in the hub!! Also a fan of the Space Mtn / Marathon medal shot!
Do you have an opinion on the Welcome Show (as seen from your phone haha)? Had you seen the previous one with the train?

 

[rteetz]

awesome medal pictures in the hub!! Also a fan of the Space Mtn / Marathon medal shot!
Do you have an opinion on the Welcome Show (as seen from your phone haha)? Had you seen the previous one with the train?

Thanks!

I liked the train show better but it is what it is. Crowds were getting really bad.

 

[wehrengrizz]

Thanks!

I liked the train show better but it is what it is. Crowds were getting really bad.

I absolutely understand that part of it. It was my goal every time we went to get there and see the morning show, but I watched a live stream of the first day of this new one, and I was like, hey, now my goal is to get there in time so I can be at that rope line....to get to the rides. Bummed to have missed the old one but some things DO have to actually change every now and then.

 

[ZellyB]

Great medal shots!! Love your Space Mountain ride shot too. Very cute!!

I'm curious to hear how you like The Boathouse.

 

[rteetz]

Great medal shots!! Love your Space Mountain ride shot too. Very cute!!

I'm curious to hear how you like The Boathouse.

Thanks!

That coming up soon!

 

[ariane37]

Echoing everyone else- love the medal shots, especially with the Donald and Goofy statues
I did MK solo one morning a couple years ago when the rest of the family refused to get out of bed and I rode Astro Orbiter for the first time then. The views were neat but I don't feel the need to ride again. I'll stick with Dumbo or even Aladdin!

 

[rteetz]

Echoing everyone else- love the medal shots, especially with the Donald and Goofy statues
I did MK solo one morning a couple years ago when the rest of the family refused to get out of bed and I rode Astro Orbiter for the first time then. The views were neat but I don't feel the need to ride again. I'll stick with Dumbo or even Aladdin!

Thanks! I think I'd put Astro orbiter above Aladdin but below dumbo.

 

[pooh'smate]

I love your medal pictures around the hub. The best time to ride Astro is at night with all the lights.

 

[rteetz]

I love your medal pictures around the hub. The best time to ride Astro is at night with all the lights.

Thanks! If I do Astro Orbiter again it will be at night.

 

[pooh'smate]

Thanks! If I do Astro Orbiter again it will be at night.

I don't have a good enough camera but I have seen some really beautiful photographs of that ride at night. My daughter loves Astro but only at night. Dumbo is her favorite ride in all of Disney World.

 

[Pluto0809]

Alone time at MK is so much fun! It's my favorite park to do solo.

I LOVE those shots of your medals on the fence with the castle in the background, amazing! It is too bad there isn't a Dopey statue. I'm definitely going to steal that idea next year with the 5K and the Pluto statue.

Are you eating your medal on SM?

I rode Astro Orbiters a few years ago and I hated them. I'm not a fan of heights but I do fine if I feel strapped in. But I kept feeling like I would fly out of that rocket and I didn't like that feeling at all!

I need to catch that Muppets show in a few weeks. Mom and I never saw it in December because it was pretty hot when we were there and she didn't want to stand in the sun to watch.

 

[rteetz]

Alone time at MK is so much fun! It's my favorite park to do solo.

I LOVE those shots of your medals on the fence with the castle in the background, amazing! It is too bad there isn't a Dopey statue. I'm definitely going to steal that idea next year with the 5K and the Pluto statue.

Are you eating your medal on SM?

I rode Astro Orbiters a few years ago and I hated them. I'm not a fan of heights but I do fine if I feel strapped in. But I kept feeling like I would fly out of that rocket and I didn't like that feeling at all!

I need to catch that Muppets show in a few weeks. Mom and I never saw it in December because it was pretty hot when we were there and she didn't want to stand in the sun to watch.

Alone time really was great! Definitely steal my idea! I didn't even think to find the Pluto statue for the Pluto medal. I saw Donald and Goofy right away so that's where I went.

Yes I am eating my medal!

I didn't hate it but it wasn't something I would wait more than 10 minutes for.

I highly recommend the Muppets in liberty square it was so cool having actual Muppets there.

 

[rteetz]

The Boathouse!

Okay first I forgot to mention in the last update that my grandma did end up going on Space Mountain! If you read my last TR she vowed she would never do it again. Well we convinced her otherwise! Syd and I channeled silly poses/faces.



So we headed to Disney Springs from the Magic Kingdom. Well the first problem is there is no bus that runs directly to Disney Springs from MK until after 2PM. That put a wrench into our plans. We had to go back to SSR and then took the bus to Disney Springs.

We arrived just after our ADR time which was 12:30. We were seated inside but next to a window.





I really loved the decor in the restaurant. It must have been a slower day because our waiter kept like hovering around asking us if we needed anything which was fine but noticeable. He was very nice and we had no issues with him.

I got some bacon cheeseburger with this melted cheese. Wow what a good burger! I would go back for that again even though I want to try other things. Sydnee got a kids chicken sandwich, and my grandma got the sliders. You can see my sister also got a slushy in a souvenir cup. Everyone really enjoyed their food.





While we were eating our friends had gotten back from their cruise and were at Disney Springs before their flight back home. They stopped in to say hi and said we would meet up after we were done.

No dessert for us even though I would love to try that baked Alaska someday! Overall I really enjoyed the Boathouse and would go back in a heartbeat. I would love to sit outside during the evening.







We met our friends back at the Margarita bar. Wendy who is a DVC member who let us rent her point this trip let us use her DVC discount on a new Dooney and Bourke for my mother. My mom had been eyeing up this new 2017 design (my mom has like 5 Dooneys) but didn't get it. My grandma decided she would get it for her.



We said our goodbyes after that, they were going to head out and to the airport for their flight. We headed over to Apex to get my dad new Oakley Sunglasses for his birthday which was during this trip. I don't have pictures but they were just black Oakley sunglasses. Apex even gave a discount for me being a runner that weekend.

We passed by Paddlefish which is now open.



We were then off to the boat back to SSR.

Edison construction going on.







I wouldn't be opposed to Disney being home



We went back to the room dropped off our stuff freshened up and then we were off to Epcot for a bit!

First stop Test Track!



I don't know why I look so serious.





It was really turning into a great last full day in Disney. Would it stay that way though?

Up Next: Inside Out leads to a mad rush!

 

[Pluto0809]

Yeah for Grandma riding SM again. Did she say anything after this ride?

It is kind of a pain that there are no buses in the mornings to Disney Springs but I do understand why Disney does it. I've taken the Monorail to the Contemporary before and caught a bus from there.

The Boathouse is definitely on my list to try someday but I don't know when that will be. I'm so looking forward to the Edison so that will be my choice next January. I'm not going to DS next month, just no time in my short trip. Oh and it did crack me up a little that you guys went to a seafood place and none of you ordered seafood.

Love your red car on Test Track.

 

[rteetz]

Yeah for Grandma riding SM again. Did she say anything after this ride?

It is kind of a pain that there are no buses in the mornings to Disney Springs but I do understand why Disney does it. I've taken the Monorail to the Contemporary before and caught a bus from there.

The Boathouse is definitely on my list to try someday but I don't know when that will be. I'm so looking forward to the Edison so that will be my choice next January. I'm not going to DS next month, just no time in my short trip. Oh and it did crack me up a little that you guys went to a seafood place and none of you ordered seafood.

Love your red car on Test Track.

She didn't really say anything other than that it was as rough as she remember it.

Yeah we decided to just go back to SSR since its close to Disney Springs.

I am not huge on seafood and the Boathouse really has so much to offer from burgers to seafood to steak. Surprisingly it was one of the cheaper meals of the trip too. I'd like to try a steak there next time.

Red is my favorite color car.

 

[Sweettears]

Edison looks like a pretty large building.

 

[Ladyfish77]

Finally catching up!
Congrats on the marathon!!! So cool that you got to ride EE in the middle of the race!
Love the old ride car photo! I loved 20,000 leagues under the sea ride--it was always my favorite. I guess I've always liked being underwater--which is why I teach scuba as my profession!
Love all the medal photos around MK!
I've not eaten dinner at BOG, must put that on the to do list. I've never eaten in the west wing, just the ballroom and the music box (or whatever they call it) room.
Boathouse looks wonderful.
I'm sure I had many other comments but can't remember them now!!! Glad I made it back before the end of the report!

 

[rteetz]

Edison looks like a pretty large building.

It is huge!

Finally catching up!
Congrats on the marathon!!! So cool that you got to ride EE in the middle of the race!
Love the old ride car photo! I loved 20,000 leagues under the sea ride--it was always my favorite. I guess I've always liked being underwater--which is why I teach scuba as my profession!
Love all the medal photos around MK!
I've not eaten dinner at BOG, must put that on the to do list. I've never eaten in the west wing, just the ballroom and the music box (or whatever they call it) room.
Boathouse looks wonderful.
I'm sure I had many other comments but can't remember them now!!! Glad I made it back before the end of the report!

Thanks!

Thanks for watching up. I loved the old ride photo.

I highly recommend both dinner at BOG and the Boathouse.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I love that you got your Grandma on Space Mountain again That is one regret I have--I never got to take my Grandma to Disney World But lucky for my son, he's already been there making magical memories with his Grandparents twice!!

The Boathouse burger and fries looked DELICIOUS!!! I'm surprised you said it was one of your less expensive meals of the trip, too, because I would have expected it to be pricey. My Dad really wanted to ride on the Amphicars when we were there in December but we somehow just never made it over there!

 

[rteetz]

I love that you got your Grandma on Space Mountain again That is one regret I have--I never got to take my Grandma to Disney World But lucky for my son, he's already been there making magical memories with his Grandparents twice!!

The Boathouse burger and fries looked DELICIOUS!!! I'm surprised you said it was one of your less expensive meals of the trip, too, because I would have expected it to be pricey. My Dad really wanted to ride on the Amphicars when we were there in December but we somehow just never made it over there!

Yes I have been very lucky to experience WDW with multiple members of my family from aunts and uncles to both grandparents.

Highly recommend the Boathouse!